2016 Maserati Levante spotted testing – latest spy pictures

Italian company’s premium sports-utility vehicle will go on sale in 2016, with replacements for Granturismo as well as also also Grancabrio sports GT also planned

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These latest spy pictures show the production-ready type of the upcoming Maserati Levante SUV testing for the 1st time.

Previous test mules – which have been based on modified Ghibli bodywork – have been spotted performance testing at the Nürburgring, nevertheless of which is usually the 1st time the SUV has been spied wearing its production bodywork.

While heavily disguised, we can see the high-riding, four-door Maserati will feature tradition SUV proportions, which has a long bonnet as well as also also sloping roofline. of which mule’s extra rear camouflage is usually likely attempting to hide the the automobile’s coupé-like silhouette – a strategy already echoed in rivals like the BMW X6 as well as also also Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé.

Speaking at the recent Frankfurt motor show, Maserati boss Harald Wester confirmed the Levante will receive its global debut at the Geneva motor show next March.

Wester said pre-production of the Levante would certainly start soon as well as also also the item would certainly be in production at an extension of the firm’s Miafori plant by February.

He revealed of which the item would certainly be based on “100% Maserati parts”, as well as also also would certainly not borrow anything through some other Fiat-Chrysler brands, including Jeep. To of which end the item will be based on the same platform of which underpins the Ghibli as well as also also Quattroporte, will be sized as well as also also priced between those designs, as well as also also use the same V6 as well as also also V8 engines, transmissions as well as also also all-wheel drive system as those cars.

The original plan was to contain the Levante in production by next January’s Detroit motor show, as part of Maserati’s desire to reach 50,000 sales by 2015. of which target will not currently be reached due to the delay to the Levante, something of which Maseratis puts down to the switch of plant as well as also also creating sure the item is usually a proper Maserati product as well as also also not one derived through elsewhere.

Wester, who ruled out a smaller SUV as he has no further plans to expand the range beyond the addition of the Levante as well as also also Alfieri sports car, said of which the Levante would certainly sport many fresh features as well as also also innovations which would certainly then drip down through the Maserati range.

Among these would certainly be plug-in hybrid drivetrains, which will be offered inside the Levante, Ghibli as well as also also Quattroporte through late 2017/early 2018, with appearances inside the Alfieri as well as also also Granturismo replacement likely. Diesels would certainly continue to be offered in Maseratis following the launch of plug-ins, Wester confirmed, although they will not be inside the sports designs.

He said the production Levante would certainly be “different in every way” through the concept car of the same name shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. the item will have strong off-road ability “better than competitors”, Wester revealed, as well as also also would certainly be as capable off-road as a non-Trail Rated Jeep.

Despite the appearance of latest test mules, Wester revealed of which Coupé-SUVs were not inside the Maserati plans, as he has no desire to fill niches with Maseratis. “We need to be a 100% SUV,” he said.

Wester also revealed of which replacements for the Granturismo as well as also also Grancabrio sports GT designs were also inside the works as well as also also would certainly arrive around the same time as the Alfieri sports car in 2017.

One sports design of which won’t be appearing is usually a Maserati type of LaFerrari, something of which happened before when Maserati launched its own type of the Ferrari Enzo.

Maserati marketing director James Cowan told Autocar earlier of which year of which the SUV has the potential to be a “game-changer” for the brand. “the item will be our biggest seller in many markets as well as also also will attract almost universally fresh customers to the brand,” he said “The key factor is usually of which the item is usually a global vehicle – the item will sell well in Europe, the US as well as also also China, as well as also also of which gives us a broad base to approach sales through.”

The brand has set targets to grow sales to 75,000 units by 2018, of which around 3000 will be inside the UK. “of which’s massive growth through where we were in 2013, when we sold 319 cars inside the UK, nevertheless the item is usually still relatively niche,” said Cowan “By 2018 we should have around 30 UK dealers – to ensure of which averages out at 100 sales per dealer, which should ensure customer service as well as also also experience remains top-notch.”

Cowan also said Maserati would certainly work to grow its brand awareness: “One of the biggest challenges we face is usually getting people to want to know about Maserati. They’ve heard of the item nevertheless they aren’t necessarily eager to know anything beyond the Ferrari association. of which’s why we launched the Levante concept early – to get people talking about us.”

Wester has said of which the Levante SUV is usually still a real Maserati, as well as also also of which the item has been built as a response to the changing market: “Of course the item is usually a real Maserati: sports as well as also also luxury can stand for different things. The market has changed, as well as also also the preference of our customers has changed. The sports car market has slowed down dramatically to 50,000 cars a year. The luxury SUV segment is usually 10 times of which.”

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